


A Brother Like You

by Happyvillagin



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BSM, Bullying, Incest, Jealousy, Multi, Murder, Siblings, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, familys, one direction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:44:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2181894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happyvillagin/pseuds/Happyvillagin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isobel has always loved her brother, maybe a little too much...but she discovers just how much she is willing to do to make sure he gets exactly what he deserves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Right so not all the tags work at the minute but I didn't want anyone to get any ideas that this was going to be a nice, calm, sweet fic...it's really not. My friends all think I'm crazy but it's fine haha :) ta xxx

I shoved my shoulder against the wooden front door of the house that was still standing, opening it with force and pushing my back against it desperately trying to get away from everything, shutting the world out for at least a few minutes.

I felt the skin at the bottom of my back become red and sore as I slid down the door, the rough texture of the wood splintering at the pressure of me rubbing against it. My hands involuntarily held my head in themselves and left a cold wet imprint on my face.

I looked down at my hands in surprise. What, why? Why was I startled? I didn’t know what to do. I was full of hurt and anguish and love and happiness. I forced open a drawer on the old desk and pull out a piece of paper and an old pencil.

_It was the first time I've felt like that. About anyone. I love it. It was exhilarating. It was nice. It was warm and fuzzy like a fluffy hot water bottle. It was...it just felt right. I mean it felt wrong as well. So wrong.  But so right. I know it was. I felt something. I know it was right because I felt something. You don't expect it at first. People think love is straight forward. Love is what you make of it. Love is simple. Love is complicated. Love is unpredictable. Love just happens. Love is when you need someone so much, when you look at them your heart melts. It breaks your heart to think of them with anyone else. Your heart breaks? But it doesn't does it? Your heart is intact. Your heart is a muscle that pumps blood around your blood, my body, his body._

My mind began to wander as I wrote. I couldn’t help but think about him. I hurt but what was I going to do? I continued to write on the piece of scrap paper.

_Your heart is one thing you cannot live without. But it has nothing to do with love. Nothing at all. Love is something no-one cares about. It is a word that is used but it has no effect in anything. Love is in your head. "It's in your head Isobel." "It's not real Isobel." "There's something wrong with your head Isobel." But this wasn't in my head. I know he felt it too. This wasn't love because it was so much more. He was my driving force in the world, it made sense. There was never anyone else. He was the one thing I couldn't live without, he was my heart._

 


	2. Chapter 2

A hand slammed against the wall next to Isobel’s head. A taller girl leaned over her pushing her slender face into hers.

“So Belly.” Spat the taller girl. “How are you today?”

“Please leave me alone Sapphire.” Isobel replied. Isobel tried to shuffle under her arm and around the corner to the science rooms but her path was blocked by one of Sapphire’s skinny friends. She sighed again and forced herself to smile at Sapphire, trying to look sincere. “I’m very good, thank you.” Isobel continued, trying to be as nice as possible with letting her voice shake too much, a tell sign that she was now frightened.

“Well someone’s being polite today. What has got into you?” Isobel didn’t answer; almost like suddenly all of the confidence she had felt a second ago had been knocked out of her. She just looked down at her shoes like a 5 year old in the playground. She felt like a 5 year old right now, all small and helpless. It was getting worse. Every day Sapphire would find a way to torment her, getting into her face, hurting her, getting in her head. She couldn’t get her out. She tried to stand up to her, she really did, but it usually ended up with her clutching her stomach trying to make the pain go away. Sapphire wasn’t a particularly strong girl, she wasn’t overly tall, or muscly or weighty, she was actually very slim and very pretty, but what she did have she wasn’t afraid to throw around. She was the kind of person that everyone was scared of but nobody actually said. She could make your life a living hell in seconds or she could make it all better. Isobel was one of the unlucky ones; in fact the main unlucky one, as Sapphire had done her the pleasure of making Isobel the brunt of all her anger. She could always see her face plastered in her mind and now Sapphire was now right in her face.

“Why are you not answering me? Are you being serious? She’s not answering me.” She exclaimed, looking round to all her friends who were around her, her fake dirty blonde hair flicking around over her shoulder and back again. “You can take my books for that.” She shoved a pile of school books into Isobel’s chest causing her to miss the top couple and drop them on the floor. “Don’t ruin them.” Sapphire added, kicking her books into Isobel’s knees as she lowered herself to pick them up. She felt something turning in her stomach. She didn’t know if it was fear or shame, but whichever it was, it felt like it had come up from the pits of hell just to make Isobel squirm and had manifested itself inside her.

As Isobel slowly came back up to Sapphire’s lowered eyelevel She paused then moved a little closer despite Isobel thinking that wasn’t even possible. “Tell your brother-“

“But you’re going to see him before I do-“she blurted, immediately regretting it. She pulled her head back, smacking it into the wall behind her.

“Excuse me?” Sapphire stood back up and looked at Isobel with her tongue in her cheek.

Isobel continued in a quieter voice than before, still not sure if she should be saying it but knowing that if she didn’t she would be in more trouble. “If you want to give him a message, you’re going to see him first so…”

“I don’t know who you think you are but…”She backed away a little, trying to work out what to say. “You will do what I tell you. You know why? Because I own you and...” she was interrupted by a long shout of her name as Isobel’s older brother ran up behind her and grabbed her around the waist just as she turned round to him with a smile making out nothing was happening.

“Hey Babe.” He said kissing her intently. Isobel felt even more awkward than she had when Sapphire was in her face, watching her brother swap saliva with this cow. She could feel Sapphire putting it on, knowing watching them made Isobel squirm.

“Hey baby.” She replied to him, stroking his face after they had finished eating each other and feeling his stubble that was growing there. “Was just talking to your little sister. She’s so adorable.” she said trying to ruffle Isobel’s hair and make out that she was being nice to her. Isobel tried to duck out of the way of Sapphires hand but she managed to reach her anyway, giggling slightly. Isobel knew she wouldn’t do anything to her whilst Louis was there. She wouldn’t dare. When she was with him, she was safe.

“Are that’s so cute. You alright Iz?”  Isobel tried to speak up but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to hurt Louis, or worse be accused of lying so she just nodded. “Good. Well we’ve got history, so we’d better get going. See you later Swiz.” With that he took hold of Sapphires hand and led her towards their classroom.

“I’ll see you later Isobel. Oh I like your hair by the way.” Sapphire mocked.

Isobel was left standing still against the wall. She watched her brother lead away her bully, not knowing what she had put her through nearly every day of her school life.

“Bye.” Isobel whispered to herself watching them wander away, Sapphire laughing at yet another one of her brother’s jokes. Louis was completely unaware of everything. How could he be? Was he just stupid or something? Or could he just not see the hurt that she was feeling?

She slowly pulled her hair out of the bobbled ponytail sat near the top of her head that her mum had secured to her earlier that morning, her straight hair falling around her face as she rummaged around the books in her school bag for another bobble to create plaits. She continued to stare down at it, not sure what to do at that moment. She put it around her wrist as she braided the right side of her hair, then the left, slowly wrapping the bobbles around the bottoms and fiddling with the tips with her right hand as she felt the indentation the bobble had created on her wrist.

 

She was soon startled out of her trance by another person barging into her arm.

“Molly.” Isobel whined. “Ow.”

Molly was Isobel’s oldest friend; and her only friend. She was also the sister of Isobel’s bully, a thing Isobel didn’t find too hard to cope with. Molly was nothing like her sister. The only similarity between the two was that they shared the same parents. Molly wasn’t tall and slim like her sister and didn’t share the same love of hair dye that seemed to hit sapphire at their age. She was short, fairly dumpy and had medium length dark ginger hair that was unruly unlike her sister’s long tidy blonde locks.

“Sorry. You ok?”                                                                                      

“Yeah” Isobel replied quietly continued to play with the tips of her plaits.

“Well you will never guess what I heard,” Molly said not really listening to Isobel’s response. “Did you hear about Becky Tainton? Well anyway, apparently she's getting excluded. You know, because of that fight last week between her and Laura from English. I saw it. It was pathetic. Literally they were stood either side of a table and ran around a bit. Then Becky caught up, shouted "BITCH" pulled her hair then bit her. I wasn't that close but I heard from Stuart that Laura was bleeding.” Molly spoke so quickly Isobel found it difficult to focus on any one sentence. Molly tended to do that. She spoke so quickly all the time, as if time was going to run out and a buzzer was going to go off and she wouldn’t be able to say anything anymore. She stopped suddenly and looked at Isobel. “You sure you’re ok?”

Isobel looked down at her feet. She clearly wasn’t ok but she didn’t have to heart to tell her friend. Molly

“You seen Saph then?”  Molly guessed, gesturing towards Isobel’s now full school bag.

She nodded, not removing her eyes from her shoes.

“You know she’s just being...well her. She’s mean to me all the time.”

“But you’re her sister and you have your parents to look out for you.” Isobel blurted, a little bit louder than she was meaning.

“I’ll take some.” Molly reached into Isobel’s school bag and took half of the books from it. “I’ll take the rest later yeah?” Isobel nodded and sighed quietly.

 “I just...” she didn’t finish as the bell rang and they had to hurry to their double lesson for the afternoon. Molly grabbed Isobel by the arm and she winced quietly to herself as her best friend unknowingly pushed her hand into an old bruise on her forearm.

 

The classroom was dark as the film played. Something about the Second World War, Isobel didn’t know, she didn’t care to watch it. She spread her elbows onto Molly’s side of the desk and placed her chin on her crossed hands thinking about tonight. Once again Sapphire was coming to her house and once again she would have to deal with her being ‘so funny’ and ‘beautiful babe’ when Louis was in the room but soon turning into her nightmare when he left. He deserves some one better she thought to herself as she traced a picture on the table in front of her.

“What even is this?” Molly whispered.

“Something about the second world war I think.” Isobel said.

“Well duh.” Molly sat for a moment watching her friend rolling her pencil forward and backwards along the table stopping before it rolled off. “Are you even watching this?”

“Does  it look like it?” Isobel snapped back. She didn’t want to talk to Molly right now. She, and the film, was the last thing on her mind. Why did Sapphire feel the need to pick on her? What had she ever done to her? She wasn’t loud or annoying or rude in any way. She wasn’t even funny looking she didn’t think. There was obviously something in her that Sapphire didn’t like.

Isobel’s thoughts were interrupted and she was bought back down to earth by Molly asking another question.

“What are you doing?”

“Rolling.”

“Rolling?”

“Rolling” Isobel confirmed.

She rolled her pencil along the desk trying to stop it at the end but she sat one last time she watched it roll off. Molly looked at her from her side of the table and raised her eyebrows.

“Not anymore.” Molly told her. “You gonna get that?”

“Maybe.” Isobel told her, trying to see the pencil from her seat. She couldn’t see it in front of the table but could feel it next to her foot as she rolled her shoe on the floor.

“Iz, you know about tonight-“

Isobel interjected quickly, “I can’t sorry. Mum’s out and Louis’ doing dinner and stuff…”

“I thought Sapphire was going to yours?”

“Yeah…I never said he was making my dinner though did I.”

The couple received a ‘shh’ from their teacher and she slowly paraded the room looking for unruly children who were no longer watching the film so close to the end of lesson. Molly settled down in her chair again and the pair could feel the teacher’s eyes boring into the back of their head.

They felt the gaze lift and Molly tried to continue the conversation.

“You know if you tell Louis, I’m sure-“

“No.” Isobel retaliated in a gravelly voice, trying it keep quiet so they wouldn’t get caught again. “I told my mum I would get home for a plumber or to collect something or other. I’m not quite sure what’s going on. I’m sorry.” She lied to her friend.

“No. It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Molly turned to face the film once more. Isobel slowly spread her elbows on the table again gently rolling the pencil underneath her foot. She rolled it slightly too hard and sent it in front of her so she could see it sitting underneath the boy in front of hers chair.

“I might go and get my pencil.” Isobel felt like she needed to let Molly into that little piece of knowledge. Isobel huffed and pushed her chair back. She was blinded when she sat up, by the light that was creeping through the curtains on the opposite side of the ground floor classroom. It shined on the whiteboard making the film almost unwatchable. Lucky lesson will be finished soon she thought, not that she was watching it anyway. Isobel ducked under the table, banging her head on the way and crawled under it to grab her pencil.

As soon as she touched her pencil the end of the day bell rang and she quickly shoved the pencil into her bag in front of her. Isobel stood and quickly pulled her school bag onto the table I front of her. She rolled up her sleeves on her school jumper and began packing her books into her bag and removing Sapphire’s books from her bag.

Molly picked up Sapphire’s books from the table and noticed the purple stain on her best friends arm.

“When did you do that?” Molly enquired.

Isobel quickly noticed that she was now staring at the large bruise on her arm. “Oh, erm…sometime. I don’t know.” She brushed it off and pulled her sleeve down haphazardly.

Molly pulled on her sleeve again trying to reveal it again to get a better look. “Let’s have a look. That looks a good un.”

“Molly, leave it. “ Isobel shouted ripping her arm away from Molly, accidentally slamming her elbow into the wall behind her. She stared into Molly’s eyes. She seemed surprised and slightly offended that her best friend didn’t want to share something with her.

Isobel grabbed her bag off the table and pushed past Molly, exiting the classroom without saying goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where the story really begins. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, just need to make some adjustments to make sure it's all good :) Thank you so much for reading this, I really appreciate it, any feedback would be amazingly lovely as well. Ta very much xxxx


	3. Chapter 3

As Isobel wandered home in the cold, the wind brushing against her face making it red and icy, she shuffled her feet along the pavement, watching her shoes making scuff marks on the floor from the mud she had dragged along with her. The prospect of going home was too much. This was the third time this week that Sapphire had been there, nearly every day of the week she was at her house and if she didn’t see her there, she was guaranteed to see her at school. Isobel knew her mother was at work so avoiding the situation and going to Molly’s was a no.

She saw her brother’s car in the driveway of their tall three storey house, the white bricks dazzling in the low winter sun. She brushed her fingers along the side of it as she went past it going up to her house and entering the front door, walking into the hallway.

She carried on down the short hall, past the stairs putting her shoes in the cupboard underneath them, and into the kitchen and dining room, throwing her school bag on the sofa as she passed the door to the living room. Running her hand down the pale wooden door frame, she poked her head around the corner to see if they were in there. No. maybe she didn’t come round after all.

“You lied about the plumber.”

Isobel jumped at the voice coming from the girl sat on the table swinging her legs.

“You scared me.”

“No plumber man.” She jumped off the table and walked towards Isobel, tapping the door as she went past. The girl went from the kitchen to the living room just down the hall, dumping herself on the sofa and flicking at the TV remote.

“I thought Louis would be home.” Isobel said frustratedly pulling the remote from her hands and turning off the TV.

“Well he’s not is he?” the girl once again got up from her position and smiled into Isobel’s face. “How’s your arm?” She pulled at the sleeve of Isobel’s school jumper slowly before it was ripped from her fingertips.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Isobel slumped down at the table, scraping the biscuit tin across it, opened it and noisily ate a biscuit spreading crumbs across her lap and the table in front of her. She didn’t hear the front door click open or the two older teenagers come into the hallway.

“Iz. They’re mum’s biscuits.” Louis exclaimed. Isobel quickly brushed some of the crumbs from her lap and the table, attempting to hide the mess she had created despite having already been caught. “Gis us one.”

She laughed as her brother reached around her to get a biscuit from the still open tin his reaction being the one she had hoped for, and expected from him. She could feel his breath on her head, moving out of the way. He broke the biscuit in half and grated them together creating more mess and grinning down at his little sister.

“Now you’ve made a mess.” Isobel smiled.

“Not any more than there already was.” Louis replied shoving the biscuit halves into his mouth. He was absolutely disgusting. Eating the biscuit with his mouth open; because it wouldn’t fit otherwise; with his head back trying not to spill it everywhere. But in all of that disgustingness Isobel found a beauty. He was so lovely and kind and sweet. Just like someone ought to be. His brown fringe flopped backwards almost standing on end as he nearly choked on the biscuit pieces in his mouth.

Her though process was once again broken when she realised they might not be alone. “Is erm…Sapphire here?” Isobel asked shakily. She thought she knew that answer.

“Shuels ib mehhh hurff hr.” He said, spitting biscuit everywhere and gesturing towards the living room. She nodded smiling.

“I’ll just go upstairs shall I?” She back out of the kitchen, trying not to be seen through the doorway of the living room, creeping round to where the stairs began.

“IZZY!!!!” she heard from the living room as Sapphire came up to her and grabbed her around the waist, hugging her tightly; maybe a little too tightly. “Where are you going babe? Come sit with us.” Louis groaned slightly, his mouth still full of biscuit. “Oh for lord’s sake, finish that thing and stop moaning. Your sister is just so adorable.” She punched Isobel’s arm, making her back into the wall behind her. “Oh I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it that hard.” Yes you did, Isobel thought.

Isobel was dragged onto the sofa in her living room, sandwiched between Sapphire and the arm. She sat so incredibly close that Isobel thought her legs were going to explode. She tried to wiggle to create some space but Sapphire just wedged herself in closer. Louis then plonked himself next to his girlfriend, mug of tea in his hand. Apple tea Isobel noted to herself. He always drank it, she could smell it from where she was sat and even though she wasn’t fond of the smell it reminded her that he was close so she was as safe as she could ever be.

Sapphire placed her legs on his, squashing Isobel even more. She didn’t complain. Why you may ask, well she knew that if she did, Sapphire would probably do something worse later rather than just squash her on the sofa.

Isobel watched as a film was played on the TV, one Sapphire had put in when she and Louis were eating biscuits in the kitchen she presumed. She didn’t really want to watch it. It was some musical rubbish that she had seen millions of times before. She hated it and knew her brother did too. She could hear his sighs from the other side of the beached whale between them and she could sense his eyes rolling at every single cheesy bit. How could someone who loved you put you through this ordeal and make you watch film that you hated? She also always bought him peanut butter things from holiday, but he’s allergic. How could you be that clueless? And why peanut butter? These were all things that Isobel couldn’t work out.

When the film finished Louis got up to turn it off and realised that Sapphire was asleep. He lifted her up and let his little sister off the sofa.

“Sorry Swiz. She likes to spread out sometimes.” He laughed looking at Isobel’s red hand where Sapphire had decided to press her house key into it. He scratched the back of his head and turned quickly away. “You can go if you want. You know if you’ve got homework. I mean if you want. I’m going to take Saff home.”

Isobel nodded without him noticing and watched him leave the room taking his mug he’d brought in before the film. “Ok.” She whispered longingly, more to herself than to him.

She got to the top of the stairs before she remembered she left her school bag in the living room. She crept back down into the room to get it.

She shuffled into the room and picked up her bag that had opened onto the floor.

“Lou? Babe?”

“Erm…I think he’s in the kitchen.” Isobel said not think as she turned and stood up against the edge of the sofa, receiving a sharp glare from Sapphire. Her eyes seemed to bore into her head as Sapphire stood up. Isobel gasped and looked up at her.

“Was I talking to you?” She whispered.

“No…I just….I was just saying.” Isobel could hear her voice shaking as Sapphire towered over her once more. She could feel her heart racing and she could swear that Sapphire could hear it too.

“Oh were you? That’s fun for you.” Sapphire seemed to smile as she pushed Isobel against the edge of the sofa where she was perched. She held her breath and tried not to show her emotional state. She brought her hand up to her chest to try and push Sapphire away but Sapphire took the frightened hand in her own and began to bend the fingers back. Isobel winced in pain and opened her mouth to shout but Sapphire quickly put a stop to that by slamming her hand over the opening. Isobel gulped, her other hand stuck underneath her bum against the sofa, unable to help her at all. She tried to not think about it, trying to not cry. She could sense the tears building up, could feel them pooling in her eyes, ready to escape onto her cheek.

“Did you want to say something?” Sapphire threatened. Isobel shook her head slightly for no.

“Saph babe? You awake?” Sapphire was obviously startled by the thought of getting caught in the position she was in so she loosened her grip on Isobel’s mouth to peek out the door to see if Louis was coming.

Isobel squirmed underneath her. This was abruptly stopped when Sapphire turned back to her and whispered in her ear. “Good. You can go now.”  


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right so it's been a bit and this chapter may not be as satisfying as I would like it to be but I'm trying to sort things for uni then the chapters are coming to me but in the wrong order so I've finished the last few chapters but the ones that need to go on first aren't ready yet so haha :)

Isobel held her breath up the stairs, trying not to make anything but usual noises but could feel the tears burning in her eyes. But this was a usual sensation, it wasn’t anything new. She stood at her bedroom door, banging her head against it and listening for the front door clicking as Louis left once again having only been in a couple of hours. She was sure he must be able to see, he must know. But how could he? He was lovely, angelic, he knew exactly what to do in situations that Isobel didn’t. He was…

The door clicked and Isobel began to breathe again, this time tears rushing down her face. Isobel threw herself onto her bed in flood of tears, trying to muffle them with her pillow.

“Come on Iz.” That voice again, this time it was reassuring and caring rather than mocking as before.

As she spoke, Isobel’s voice was muffled by the pillow underneath so much that the girl and to ask for her to repeat herself. The light threatened to burn her eyes as she turned over to face the ceiling, the tears still trickling down her cheeks

“How can I ‘come on’? Hmmm?”

“It’s not like you’re the first girl to be bullied.” The girl said. Isobel turned her head to watch her yet again swing her legs below her but this time from her perch on the window ledge rather than on the dining room table. “I mean…if you told someone, maybe it would get better.”

“It can’t. It’d break his heart…”

“And his heart is the most important thing here? What about you?”

Isobel sighed turning to face the ceiling again ignoring the statement. She quickly felt a heavy lump on her stomach as the girl from the ledge sat on her stomach.

“Your arms, your hands,” the girl sitting on her middle pulled at her sleeves, roughly removing Isobel’s jumper, pulling it over her head to reveal more bruise up the tops of her arms peeking out from underneath her short sleeve school shirt where she’d been pushed into the wall or hit by Sapphire or her friends. “You’re head Isobel!” She crawled up Isobel’s chest and up to her head tapping it violently to express her point. 

“Lib-“ Isobel found her hands colliding with the girl’s chest, pushing her from her bed and onto the floor. The girl lay on the floor, elbows underneath her propping herself up to look up at Isobel, still shocked at what she’d done.

“Isobel, you need to think about you.”

Isobel stood from where she was sat. “It’s not that easy Liberty!” she shouted.

“Why is it not that easy?” Liberty was now looming over Isobel even though they were of similar sizes. Isobel was scared and she couldn’t think why.

“I just need…I need…” She didn’t know what she needed. She needed a moment where things made sense. She couldn’t tell Louis. She couldn’t break his illusion that his life was near to perfect. He was happy and Isobel didn’t feel like she could rip that away from him; one of them deserved to be happy.

“Does he love her?” Isobel snapped out of her head space again and looked up at Liberty who was still standing over her. She didn’t answer. He must, she thought. Why else would he be here? Why else would he be putting up with her?

She shook her head. “He must…”

“But he loves you too.”

“He’s my brother. He has to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much reading by the way :)  
> Feed back would be very much appreciated. Ta love ya xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find out about Isobel and Louis' past and why they are so close and a little bit to remember for everyone.  
> Cute bit of creepy little sister going on here.   
> Enjoy and such :) Ta xxx

Saturday. Today was one of the days that Sapphire couldn’t hurt Isobel. She opened her eyes when her older brother opened her bedroom curtains and letting the room flood with natural light. Louis heard a groan from underneath the bed sheets.

“Come on. It’s Saturday.” He shimmied over to the bed like something out of Chicago and plonked himself next to his little sister, still under her duvet.

“Go away.” Louis made his way back across the room sitting himself in the computer chair near the window, casually gazing out of it looking towards the street below. He padded his feet around the wooden skirting board and pushed himself off the wall and further into the room, hitting the bed and turning to poke Isobel through the duvet.

“Louis!!” Isobel removed the duvet from over her head, her hair following suit.

“Good you’re up.” Louis laughed still spinning in the chair. “How’s your hand?”

Isobel looked down sheepishly, remembering her hand had been strapped up when her mum had made it home as she was struggling to hold anything properly, which forced her to make up a story about trapping it in the back door when she went outside for some reason.

“Yeah. It’s good. It’s fine. Now anyway.” She turned away and pulled the blanket back over her head to cover her reddening face.

“Good. So I was thinking the zoo maybe, or the aquarium or we could go shopping?” he got no answer so continued to reel off places nearby. Isobel loved this. Just sitting. She could hear his voice drone on, but it didn’t matter; she could listen to it all day.

She didn’t shift for some minutes. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go out; it was just that she was trying to listen to her brother’s voice. It reminded her of her dad when he used to come and poke her out of bed every Saturday morning so her and Louis could go and do dad things with him. She missed that. Dad things. Louis had tried to make up for the lack of it, making every Saturday just for him and her like it was before, but without their dad. When he died, Louis made sure that Saturdays always continued to be their day, in the memory of their father. Isobel never complained, so it continued, even six years after his death.

“Come on Swiz. Pick somewhere.”

Isobel ripped the covers from her head and stared at Louis. She tried to pull a serious face and be angry at him for waking her up but she could never. She just gave a small moan.

“I don’t care. Anywhere.” She watched as his face dropped and he looked away from her causing her to sit up abruptly. “No I’m sorry. I just meant, erm, you chose. I decided last weekend. And the one before that. It’s your turn.”

He sighed, got up, pushing the chair back over to where it was meant to be and sat himself in it once again.  He span around a few times before he looked out of the window blankly.

“What about the zoo. Dad always liked it there.” He said plainly. He span around again, this time finishing facing her with a grin on his face. A sickly happy grin. A ‘I’m way too happy right now’ kind of grin. Isobel nodded into her pillow as Louis had taken a while in his decision.

“Yeah sure. Sounds brill.” She replied uninterested, just glad he had chosen somewhere and turned back over to face away from the window.

Louis got up and ran over to his sister in bed, pushing her into the bed by her hip to wake her up and shake her out of bed. “Come on Isobel.” He sang. “Isibelly. Iso. Ice ice baby.”  Isobel just groaned again but this time threw the duvet off herself and over her brother’s head. Louis pulled the cover from his head, his hair poking out in all directions afterwards and Isobel laughed as she tried to smooth it down. She looked at him for a minute. He looked like their dad. Everyone had always said that she had the personality but he had the looks. His hair was the same, thick at the front but evident that he would one day go bald like his ancestor and his eyes, they were the exact same shade of blue.

Isobel felt her eyes connect with his and felt a question burning in her stomach.

“Lou. Do you ever miss him?” She thought she would come out with it. There was only one way to ask these questions and that was with no sympathy at all. Just come out with it bluntly, and then no surprises were found.

Louis got up and made his way toward the door picking up Isobel’s dressing gown and placing it on the end of her bed as if he knew what this was bout but didn’t really want to answer the questions. “Who?”

“Dad.”

“Yeah of course I do.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I do that’s why. It’s what you do when people die. Everyone misses them.” Louis said defensively.

“It’s been six years you know.”

“Yeah I know.”

“I miss him.”

“I expect you would.” Louis once again backed towards the door but turned around at the last minute to hear what Isobel was saying.

“He was here, and then he wasn’t. You know all of a sudden.”

Louis stood in the door way, the light showing his figure evidently. He placed his arm on the frame to hold himself up as he leaned against it.

“It wasn’t all of a sudden Iz. He wasn’t here for a while before.” Isobel gave him a confused look and he gave one back of pain and hurt. It was evident that he didn’t want to talk about this but it was also evident that she did. He continued, “Psychologically I mean. Something like that…it’s not a sudden decision. He would’ve wanted that for a while. He didn’t want to carry on.”

“But wasn’t he happy with us?” Louis shook his head at his sister. She was nearly 15 years old but she didn’t understand what had happened 6 years beforehand. How could she?

“Some people aren’t happy with who they are in this world. He did love us Iz-“

“So why did he leave?”

“I don’t know.” Louis snapped, getting slightly frustrated with his sisters questions. “He didn’t see any other way out I suppose. He did love us though.”

Isobel looked down at her bed sheets pooling in her lap from where Louis had thrown them and then back up at her big brother.

“It was 6 years today you know?”

“Yes, I know. You’ve sai-“

“But I didn’t say it was today-“

Louis came back into the room now with anguish in his voice. “Isobel, I was there. I know how long ago it was. Every year so far I’ve had it played in my head, every day of every year. Every second of every minute of every day. He was just there twitchin-  I didn’t know what to do. How could I know?” His voice finally broke. He couldn’t go anymore. He turned away from his little sister who was now coming towards him, to stop his tears being seen.

Isobel’s arms snuck around his waist and she nuzzled her head into his back, rubbing her nose on his shirt. “We don’t have to talk about this Lou. I’m sorry. I really am.”

They stood there for a moment; just still.

He turned around, pacing his arms around her shoulders and she started to rub the bottom of his back where her hands were, to try and sooth him somewhat as he spoke.

“He just couldn’t deal with the world. I heard him say, once, that he was alone.” Louis sighed.

Isobel looked up at her older brother who was towering over her. “But we aren’t are we?” she asked him.

He quickly responded, wiping his eyes with his fist, trying to keep his composure. “No. Because I have you and you have me. Ok? Always remember that. I’ll be here for you and for mum. When dad left he made me in charge. I’m the man of the house.” He chuckled through his few remaining tears, shaking Isobel’s head.

“You try so hard.” She whispered.

“I’m sorry?”

“You tidy and look after me and mum and do everything for us.” She said a little bit louder so he could hear her.

“I try to do it, because that is what dad would’ve done if he could. He was a good dad you know just…” his voice faded and began to crack so Isobel just held him tighter.

“You don’t have to replace him Lou.” He let out a sniffle again so she pulled away from him slightly and wiped a tear from his cheek with her thumb. “Just be you; Because that is perfect.”

Louis smiled down at her, a little awkward but the moment made it not matter. Isobel leant back in and brushed her head on his chest lightly.

“Lou?”

“Yeah?”

Without moving she continued, “Can we just stay here? Have a movie day or something. And bake some cakes. Dad always enjoyed that.”

Louis nodded and replied, “Yeah. Yeah ok. Make the last one perfect.”

“Last one?” Isobel asked alarmed.

“Sorry…erm…nothing. Nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I'll get the next bit up either today or tomorrow so watch this space wooooo  
> Ta very muchly xxx


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right so I might have overstretched the time frame that I said this would be posted in but I've done it. I think I know where it's going, but seriously...any ideas would be grand my lovelys.  
> But yeah hope this was worth the wait.

Isobel’s hand had stayed away from the bowl of salty popcorn Louis had run to the shop to fetch whilst she was still getting ready. She’d asked for toffee and was sulking slightly about it and the choice of film.

“’War of the Worlds…I don’t understand it.” She said blankly.

“There’s not really anything difficult to understand.”

“But I don’t get it.”

“The world is coming to an end and they are trying to make it better again.”

“But there are aliens coming from the ground. Do they live here or something?”

Louis jumped throwing some popcorn into his lap, quickly picking it up again and dropping it into the bowl as Isobel watched with disgust.

“That’s been in your lap…”she added, being ignored. Louis just pointed at the screen out of frustration.

“They’ve been here for ages. And the people are trying to beat them.” He popped another piece of popcorn in his mouth and began chewing on it before picking up his cup from the coffee table and spitting it into it.

“But they’re aliens. The can’t be beaten can they?”

“If you watch the film you might get it.”

Isobel placed her back against the sofa again and stared at the screen with conviction trying to make some sense out of what was happening. She didn’t think herself a logical person, logic was never her strong point, but she wasn’t stupid and she just couldn’t fathom this out at all. It seemed to lack logic.

She found her hand creeping over her brother lap out of instinct, grabbing a handful of the contents of the bowl.

“So they’ve been here a long time? The aliens?”

Louis threw his arms up in distress.

“For goodness sakes Isobel. Yes they’ve been there for ages, just watch the damn thing.”

He watched his little sisters face screw up again, almost upset that he’d shouted at her although he didn’t really mean it.

Isobel felt something hit her cheek; something small, something hard.  She looked round seeing Louis reloading, ready to hit her again. He launched his attack as she did hers, throwing her arms around his waist and knocking him onto his side throwing the popcorn bowl onto the floor, creating a mess to worry about later. Louis attempts to tickle his younger sibling but gets pulled into a hug, Isobel pulling on his waist and burying her head in his neck.

“Thank you.” Isobel whispered.

“What’s that for?”

Isobel lifted her head, catching a glimpse of Louis’ eyes again before pulling her eyes away and into his chest, trying not to make him aware of her staring.

“For everything I mean. You help me all the time and I never really give you…proper thanks.” Her words slowed at the end, her eyes once again darting to her hands around his waist before she pulled away completely creating enough room for Louis to sneak his arm up and pull her in once again by her shoulders and place a kiss on the top of her head.

“It’s fine. I’m your big brother. I’m meant to help you.” He smiled and turned back to the film. Isobel’s heart sank a little bit. He helped her because he was her brother.

She tried not to dwell on the thought and watched Louis watching the movie.

“Dad would’ve liked this.” She said quietly.

“Yeah.” Louis agreed. “I was one of his favourite films when it came out. He told me. He said that he’d read the book when he was younger and said it was better than the film but it was still great all the same.”

Isobel remembered pulling the tapes from the draw and watching her dad removing them from her small hands, sit her on his lap and play them in the old tape and CD player they had in the big cabinet that was long gone now. She never understood what the people on the tapes were saying or what they were doing but her dad seemed to love it and she love spending time with him.

Now she had nothing but those memories and she needed to hang onto them. That is why sitting through a film she didn’t understand, or even like, with Louis was so important to her. She felt close to her brother and therefore to her father. Their mother had been so distant since their father died, working abnormal hours to make sure her and Louis were well looked after and it made Isobel sad.

“I still don’t get it though.” Isobel laughed, getting pushed over onto her side by Louis, as she rolled around the sofa and onto the floor.

As she got up, ready to be pushed down again, Louis’ head shot up to look towards the sound of the doorbell. He quickly stood up, placing the bowl of popcorn on the mantle and heading towards door, stepping over Isobel in the process. His face told her that he wasn’t expecting this visit now, and she attempted to get up to follow him but he gestured for her to stay in the room.

 

Isobel could hear mumbling from behind the door that Louis had shut on his way out. He didn’t seem happy about the person being there, but he didn’t seem like he was turning them away.

She heard the mumbling stop and the front door close, seeming like the person had gone.

“Lou?”  She got up from her place on the floor. “Lou, who was it?”

 

Isobel made her way into the hallway to find her brother missing.

“Louis?” she heard the door to the adjoining kitchen close and somebody behind her.

“Iz.” Louis said quickly, carefully trying not to let Isobel walk back into him. “We’re in here.”

“We?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now I'm uni and this should be updated more often...I'm not making any promises as we all know that I can't keep them very well when it comes to posting but I'm promising to try   
> But thank you for reading, it really means a lot xxxxxx


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